We are in this together

First and foremost, I hope and pray you are healthy and are adjusting to a new kind of normal. I know for some this means working from home (like me), while others are working harder than ever to keep our communities safe.

Not only am I working from home, so is the rest of our team to include Michal and our girls. Schools here in Virginia are closed for the rest of the year, so we are juggling our work with homeschooling as well. In addition to working and homeschooling, we’ve been doing a lot of baking. The girls have enjoyed trying out new recipes, particularly desserts 😊

Here's one example and we would love to share it with you but as this is yet to be invented by technology, for the moment let us share profits with the Laurel Center (keep on reading).

Besides, it was all gone in 5 minutes - I left it unsupervised with the kids for a moment... 😊

It’s been challenging; however, we feel lucky to be healthy and together. Even as we struggle to adjust, there are so many heroes who continue to come forward to serve others, even when putting themselves at risk. We are extraordinarily grateful for the doctors and nurses helping those who are sick and so many others- grocery store workers, child care centers who remain open, and those taking care of their family members at home (and so many more).Here's one example and we would love to share it with you but as this is yet to be invented by technology, for the moment let us share profits with the Laurel Center.

Not surprisingly our friends at the Laurel Center continue to do amazing work. Workers and volunteers continue to serve women in our community who have experienced domestic violence. Sadly, experts project that incidents of domestic abuse are likely to increase during the COVID 19 outbreak, as victims are forced to remain at home with their abusers. Furthermore, these women will lose their opportunity to be alone to call for help, as people stop going to work or school.

As you might know, I learned about The Laurel Center last year, and I was so impressed by all of the services they provide to the community and those in need. They have recently opened a retail store, providing skills training and jobs. The shelter remains open 24/7 at this time while being as precautious as possible. The Center is seeking donations for cleaning supplies including bleach, Clorox wipes and gloves. In response to this need, {save} will be donating 10% of all sales from Amazon and our own website in April to the Laurel Center in the hopes that we can provide some financial assistance and comfort to those in need during this challenging time. For more information about the Laurel Center, please visit www.thelaurelcenter.org

As we move forward into a new month, I encourage you to focus on taking care of yourself, both inside and out. Soon enough we will be back to work, back to school and back to rushing with our to-do list in hand. Take time to slow down, and enjoy this change of pace.